“Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.” — Earl Nightingale (1921-1989)

1. The Initial Change

James 4:7 — “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

So often people seek to resist and rebuke the devil. This is not the first move.

The initial change is to submit to God, his word, and his ways.

Once we submit to God then we will have the (ever-increasing) power to rebuke the devil!

2. The Life to Be Lived

Luke 11:24-26 — Break this down as deeply as possible. Very important to discipline ourselves to not only get rid of bad habits but to replace them with good ones.

(24) When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man,

You rebuke the negativity out of your mind and life.

he walketh through dry places, seeking rest;

The evil spirit you rebuked cannot find rest because it needs a body to work through.

and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my housewhence I came out.

The evil spirt, condition, bad habit, or whatever it is, will return back to you!

(25) And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.

The that negative force comes back it will find you clean and renewed. Yes, it will find that you have been doing some praying and fasting.

(26) Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wickedthan himself;

In response to finding you in a better shape, it (the initial negative force) will strengthen itself with seven kindred spirit worse than it.

and they enter in, and dwell there:

How did they get back into your life? Why did you allow them to come back and take up residency in your life.

and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

You may have started out drinking here and there, for example. You join the church and decide to stop drinking. You’re feeling good about and proud of yourself. But after a while you find yourself binge drinking.

You can end up worse off after the initial change, if you don’t submit to God first.